A network architecture model or simply, a network, is a collection of computer devices that are networked together and capable of communicating with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., Local Area Network or LAN and Wide Area Network or WAN). The internet is an example of a WAN comprising predominately remote computing devices. Transmission of data from one device to another occurs over these networks and is often encrypted to protect the information from being read by unintended individuals like hackers or by automatic malicious software codes.
Computing devices are connected across networks using various methods including wired cables (e.g., twisted pair, coaxial and optical fibers) or wireless high frequency signal waves (e.g., IEEE 802.11 radio signal standards, satellite signals, microwaves, cellular systems and Bluetooth). Such networks can utilize a network architecture defined by topology, or the way the computing devices are connected; scale, or the number of computing devices (e.g., LAN, WAN, personal area networks and virtual private networks); or a functional relationship (e.g., client-server and peer-to-pea connections).
The network architecture also defines the method by which the devices communicate, for example, the Open System Interconnection (OSI) and the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) methods. Each of these methods define a set of rules or protocols that govern how information is presented, packaged, represented, encrypted, addressed and transported. The Open System Interconnection (OSI) model has seven layers including a physical layer that defines the physical intermediate devices in a network and the signals and media within them, a link layer that defines the interconnection method within the network (e.g., Ethernet and Medium Access Control (MAC) sub-layer), a network layer that controls the routing of data, a transport layer that defines the rules for the transfer of data via packets across the networks, a session layer that establishes sessions between the sender and receiver of the data by checking permissions and authentication, a presentation layer that attends to the data format (and syntax) across device and network platforms and is the basis for an application layer, which provides the protocols for interface, parsing, and packaging of data for transmission.
Data encryption can be done at various network architecture layers, including the application layer, which receives the initial human-readable data from the user for transmission across the network. One data encryption method uses certificates (containing keys) for encryption and decryption at the client (user) and server (host) machines. Alternatively, some encryption methods utilize a new certificate sent from the server after a secure connection is established and this new certificate contains the decryption key for the following data. The secure connection is established at the transport layer using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Socket Layer (SSL), which provides keys for information exchange at the lower level in the network than the application layer. Further encryption methods include session layer encryption, e.g., using Secure Shell (SSH) to create a tunnel for continuous exchange of encrypted data rather than using multiple packets via a continuously changing negotiation of cryptographic algorithms.
These methods are complex and like any encryption method, may still be vulnerable to hacking attempts and the data is subject to interception as it is sent in continuous packets. Additionally, although some of these conventional methods may not involve high level data manipulation methods, network encryption methods can have significant drawbacks that are common to most encryption methods including lack of speed (latency), complexity, and reliance (jitter) due to packet arrival times.